Meanwhile, the situation in the theatre of war completely changed to the opposite way. On 19 October, the French army began to abandon the burnt Moscow and march south-west towards Kaluga region where were large stores of supplies. After the Battle of Maloyaroslavets that took place on 24 October, the way through Kaluga was closed by the Russian troops, and Napoleon's army was forced to use the heavily ravaged Old Smolensk Road on which they had earlier moved to Moscow. The outcome of the war was a foregone conclusion.
On 7 November, Olenin informed Razumovsky about his intention to return the library items from the evacuation. On 10 November, by courier, the non-commissioned officer Zahar Kirillov, Olenin sent to Sopikov the following order, 'Because St.Petersburg is now out of danger, wishing 189 boxes of things, that you had sent on the brig, to be brought into the city by the steady winter road, I recommend you to find out how much it would cost to transport all these boxes and especially 36 boxes of manuscripts and 11 items of rarities... that may be damaged by moisture and about which I most care. I hope you will let me know about this matter in a short time, so that I may make further arrangements about the delivery, using the best winter route.' 27
Within some days Sopikov inquired about the estimated amount of money needed to transport the collection of the Library to St. Petersburg , and roughly calculated expenses, '46 boxes and 1 parcel of manuscripts and other things, in my estimation, have approximately the weight of 700 pounds. 142 boxes of books, weighing 16 pounds each, will amount to 2,972 pounds (in total).
For bringing these boxes into Saint Petersburg by the current winter road, the local peasants from the surrounding villages agree a final price, namely one rubel per pood. To explain some of the circumstances relating to this subject, I enclose a special note.
Oil on canvas. 1857
'On the day following receipt of Your Excellency's order, I with my assistant, dividing into two groups, went to different villages to get information and suggest to our peasants to transport our load. We found enough volunteers with horses, and, though, all of them consider the minimum and final fare to be one rubel, however, some of them agree a price of 95 kopecks. There is a strong hope that the rest of them will agree this lowest price. And this price, in my opinion, is the most reasonable in these difficult times, it will be only slightly higher than the one that needs to be paid for the transportation by water, with that incomparably difference, that the letter journey across the Ladoga Lake is full of danger from which the first is completely free. To calculate the weight of the boxes, given in a report by me, as correctly as possible, I commanded to weigh a few boxes of different sizes and with different things. But it likely seems that the weight does not exceed 3,000 pounds. If you will order to perform this transportation, in this case, peasants who want to participate, ask the permission to do without passes for a short time, because it is difficult and takes much time to receive them. And for this, wouldn't you make a request to the civil governor of Olonets province, that he allow them to perform this transportation without passes, but with only permit for the entire caravan, which contains the name of each peasant. While the load is being loaded, his prescription can get here. After loading and departure of the caravan, whould you please be so kind to allow me to take a special wagon and go forward speedy, while my assistant Belshchinsky and military servants accompany the aforementioned caravan.' 28
Oil on canvas. 1860. Study for the painting «In 1812»
Upon receipt of the message, Olenin immediately wrote to V. Mertens, who ordered to allocate 'decent' apartments to Sopikov and Belshchinsky and assign people’s guard to protect things. But the directive of the distant governor, apparently, had no real power. Thanking Olenin for his care and contacting V. Mertens, Sopikov wrote, 'Because we had occupied apartments before we received His prescription, it only confirmed them for us and stopped the attacks of the Council Kamenshchikov on us. People’s guard have not assigned to protect things up to the present day, and our military servants stand on watch'. 29 Despite the difficult living conditions, V. Sopikov, busy with every possible practical questions, did not stop work on the book The Experience of Russian Bibliography which he sent to the Library in parts. On 15 November, Olenin wrote to him that he received the manuscript and sent it to the press. 'I made necessary arrangements for supplies of paper required to print it... ' 30
During the second half of November, the various approvals, drawing up of documents, negotiating with the peasants continued. On 4 December, the civilian governor of Olonets province wrote to Olenin that he had considered the list of peasants, submitted by Sopikov, and issued one pass for all procession to travel to the capital and back, and that he had asked the local authorities to help to 'find and hire transport at the best price for the Treasury'. 31
The same publication. Fols. 53—53v.
The same publication. Fols. 56—58.
The same publication. Fol. 68v.
The same publication. Fol. 59v.
The same publication. Fol. 63.
Emperor Alexander I's Visit to the Public Library
Beginning of the Patriotic War
Evacuation
Preparations for Return
Return to St.Petersburg